A chili recipe I came up with for a chili cookoff at work. This chili is mild at first but has a slow burn aftertaste to it. I didn’t win the cookoff because another competitor used steak in their chili, also many people thought mine was too spicy (which I thoroughly enjoy, but if you don’t you may want to have some sour cream handy to tone it down). As an affiliate, I may earn from qualifying purchases. That being said, not all links are affiliate links and are links to products actually used in this recipe.
Ingredients:
-1 lb. Ground Hot Italian Sausage
-1 lb. Ground Beef (I used Spring Crossing Cattle Co. Grass-Fed Ground Beef 85/15 but your preferred lean percentage and version would be fine)
-1 packet Old El Paso Hot & Spicy Taco Seasoning
-approximately 2 cups water
-Dashes of Hot Sauce (I used Goya Hot Sauce but you can use your preferred brand)
-1 40.5oz Can of Dark Red Kidney Beans
-1 16oz Can of Bush’s Kidney Beans in Mild Chili Sauce
-1 16oz Can of Bush’s Red Chili Beans in Mild Chili Sauce
-1 tablespoon chili powder
-1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
-1/4 teaspoon onion powder
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I got this brand at Aldi but you can use any brand you like)
-1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon Ancho Chile powder
-1/2 teaspoon paprika
-1/2 teaspoon Ground Cayenne Red Pepper
-1 teaspoon sea salt
-1 teaspoon ground black pepper
-approximately 4 on the vine tomatoes
-2.8oz. Real Bacon Bits
Instructions:
Brown ground hot italian sausage/ground beef in a frying pan. Transfer to slowcooker (I used reynold’s slow cooker liner Add ~1 cup of water and the taco seasoning. Stir. Mix in some hot sauce to your taste. Let tenderize on low for up to 6 hours. Drain/rinse large can of regular kidney beans, add more water if needed. Let simmer on low for up to 2 hours. Add both cans of Bush’s Chili Beans, as well as the chili/onion/garlic powder, red pepper flakes, cumin, ancho chile/ground cayenne red pepper, paprika, sea salt, and black pepper. Stir. Kick heat up on slowcooker up to high. Dice tomatoes and add to slowcooker. Add additional chili powders and hot sauce to your taste. Stir. Stir in entire bag of real bacon bits. Let simmer on high for 1 hour. Serve with sour cream and shredded cheese as well as a bread item on the side if you wish.
Thank you for watching! I appreciate any feedback. I personally LOVED this chili, and after I made the original test run, I used the leftovers to make chili cheese nachos another night. Let me know if you tried the chili and/or made nachos and how you liked it in the comments below.